Best Equestrian Camping near Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Large pull thoughts Horse, pet & desert toy Friendly... Owners are amazing and Scarlett (the Boss) is the cutest kid on Earth.

Fell in love with this campground! Needed a quick stop & safe place to sleep on my way to grand canyon I was so sweetly surprised! Wasn't expecting much, there weren't any reviews. This campground was just taken over... by a kind family who now owns and operates the business with their children... I was greeted by "the boss" little miss scarlett who gave me a tour, fun facts, and cupcakes she had baked. The LOVE creativity and passion the owners have, for this work in progress campground is apparent. Seems like they are working their butts off to provide amazing experiences for their guest... like wild horses and glamping! I rarely write reviews but felt it so important and wanted their hard work to not go unnoticed.  I can't wait to revisit on my next road trip in Arizona!

I was looking for a remote Cove to set up for a couple nights on Lake Mead and found this little gem off the beaten path but still accessible on a rugged and steeply graded access road. There is a sign at the entrance of Mead-Davis Powerline Rd road that says 4x4 recommended... Take this to heart.

(We came down from north of the cove off of Princess Cove Rd. There is also access from the south off of the same Princess Cove Rd. We didn't see that route driving in at night... Probably try that next time.)

This Cove is sheltered from wind by trees and tall grass. A small peninsula also blocks direct site from the water so this is a very private site.

The water is the clearest I've ever seen and the water fowl dive freely along the banks. There is a treasure trove of wildlife here apparent just from the birds singing. It was a cacophony of songbirds just before the sun went down over the mountains over the water to the west, Nevada's coastline to the Colorado River fed Lake. There are also Gila monsters, tortoise, mules and many more creatures that come visit the water-side.

It was refreshing rinsing off in the crisp, clear water! Bring water shoes as most of the coastline is rocky. 

Do not leave food out and also there are no glass containers allowed at this location! Respect your wildlife community and those enforcing the sustainable practices. Shout out to the upstanding rangers working this area! Thanks for watching over us and the respectful reminders.

Summer time might not be the best time to try to camp in southern Nevada but with mild fall and winter this campsite leaves a lot of options for those looking for an outdoor adventure.

I spent much of early spring at Red Rock enjoying the facilities, the hiking, the vistas and yes the camping. This campground does accept reservations for group sites however individual sites are walk up first come first serve and with those mild weekends they do fill up quickly. Weekdays are suggested if you can make it out as it is a bit easier to get a site during those days.

One thing most do not consider with camping at this location is the proximity to the Las Vegas strip and all the tourists which that includes. This campsite is coveted and many who wish to venture beyond the brights lights find themselves at this nationally acclaimed facility.

A few things to also consider before traveling here:

1- No cell servIce at the campground for any provIder, fact is unless you hike to the peaks you wIll not fInd any cell service for miles.

2- Campground sometimes appears full when in fact people are parking here instead of camping so do not get turned away without a quick once through the campground itself.

3- No hookups for electrIcal or water at individual sItes. If you must have power you will want to consider alternative sources.

RV campers as well as tent campers are able to stay at thIs locatIon however It does sway a bIt more toward tent campIng In way of spacing and availabilIty.

Cost to camp are $15 for single tent campers like myself. ThIs Includes a pIcnIc table and awning but more Importantly proximity to the park itself. Most don’t inquire about stay length but for a blogger lIke myself I had to know and elected to ask, because who wouldnt want the best vIews In the area as long as possIble! 14 days!!

This place is hard to get to but worth it. It’s very isolated and secluded and it surrounded by trees. If you can make it you can camp and have A whole lake to yourself. Huge fish everywhere and cliffs to jump from. You can bring a huge party and be completely isolated from everyone. Trash in trash out. Lets keep this place clean or it will get shut down from the public. L&L: 36.1149 -114.7621

Dude that’s funny that EZ up is still there. Someone abandoned it so I dragged it to thoes rocks and I’ve been back four times and use it. I just throw some blankets over it and instantly have shade. I tried to take it and fold it up and realized why the people before me abandoned it lol. That thing is a lost cause but it works great for shade and hanging towels. That is a sweet little spot I caught a huge carp that snapped my pole and a pretty large Bass. If you hike to thoes cliffs on the left it’s a fish sanctuary see a couple striper in there.

8 mile is just like Government Wash. Free boondocking with a 7 day limit. There is a dumpster at the front but no bathroom or other facilities. Hike out what you hike in. You could tent camp here or any size RV so long as you find a level spot to park.

Coyotes are very present so I personally wouldn't tent camp anywhere here but I saw several people with no problems tent camping.

There is a no break law in effect but some people still seem to leave broken glass around so be mindful. The water is close. I didn't go far enough to see of this road leads to the water. The road is very rough so I parked as soon as I was able in a class B. There were some fast trucks coming in and out as it was the weekend and the weather was perfect.

Did a day trip here, looking for other areas to be able to set up my mobile office. Awesome views, and half to full cell service/wifi all the way to the water! Water was clear and could see decent sized fish in the shallows. Another start in the boon-docking sash! Only caveat is the trash! Come one fellow campers, whatever happened to picking up and leaving no trace?

We saw some awesome sunsets here, but I wouldn't say this spot had anything unique about it.  The road is rough, you definitely cannot camp here in the rain.  It's a wash...so that would get dangerous.  I liked that there were some larger bushes than government wash because it broke up the terrain a little.   As other reviews have mentioned, the water isn't really accessible from this location.  There were no other people camping here when we were here, so the privacy was actually really nice.  You could literally walk around naked and it didn't matter.  :)

We Camp in the roofnest tent ⛺and Kayaking the next morning. What a epic experience 😎

There is no specific camp grounds in this area so yoy just have to keep going until you find a spot. The road is primitive and i had issues with fishtailing in the sand so take it slow. The campsite i found was simple and spacious. You could see the lake and it was gorgeous. This particular spot was free, but you still have to pay the fee to get into Lake Mead.

And very bad service. No one helps you there you are on your own.

Total boon docking and rough roads. But it’s free and you can literally canon where you want... sooo eyyy if you need it than it’s here. At this location you can stay 7 days. It’s a hike to get to the water from here you can’t actually get down to the water so keep that in mind. For me I like the water so it’s not an ideal Spot for me.

Note if you need an actual bathroom at the entrance of government wash you have a bathroom. Included the picture

Note that this area is free camping, however Lake Mead has an entry fee, unless you have a Senior Pass. Wide dusty washboard road to access, 2-3 miles. Dumpsters at top by Northshore hwy but nothing later, no toilets or other facilities. I would never haul a trailer in there. 7 day limit free camping. Cell signal great though.

8 mile road is open to free dispersed camping for 7 days. There is a couple dumpsters about a 1/4 mile in but that is all for 2.1 miles of terrible washboard road down to the receding water line. No water, toilets, trash cans at beach areas. The limited beach areas tend to be hogged by folks trying to keep other campers at a distance. I found floating trash all along the shore, styerfoam, plastic bottles, ect. Ugh

The road can be pretty rough but anyone can get down pretty far. Loved the open space and views of the lake.

While camping at Lake Mead, you can opt to stay in there campground that has electrical hookups, but we prefer to boondock. When you are inside Lake Mead you are able to use the dump station and freshwater to fill up your tanks at Boulder Beach campground.

We love coming here because it is not usually busy and we like our own quiet space. There's also a lot of room for the dogs to run around.

I’ve driven down other washboard roads but even with some speed this road was so tough on my van. We made it and the views and solitude were worth it but it was a loud, bumpy, stressful 2 mile ride. Cell signal is booming @ this site, more so than Govt Wash which is across the way. But Govt Wash has a better road. I’ll go back to 8 Mile when I earn my van’s trust back LOL

Of the campgrounds I checked out in this area I found this one to be one of the nicer ones. Unlike some which had a lot of random garbage this one was well maintained and looked like those who stayed respected the area more.

Sites here were smaller than most but since I stay in a tent of course I had plenty space for my car and tent alike without struggle. I do not see this working well for longer rigs though that need a pull through that is much longer.

I had plenty of space between me and my neighbor and with some low level brush it stopped any of the brash winds from effecting me at night. I had a picnic table and fire ring, standard to most camping sites and that made for a perfect set up for me as I don't really need all that extra most of the time.

The weather was nice other than the wind when I was there so I didn't have any reason to need to plug anything in to keep cool but I do know I wouldn't even attempt to stay here after late May it just gets way to hot. Not to mention they do have a lot of snakes in this area when the heat gets to that point, so no thanks!

The night was quiet, I had read that there were a lot of coyotes but I heard none in the area instead only the sounds of someones RV making a humming noise a few sites over.

The bathrooms were well kept and there was water scattered throughout the campground which made it easy to access. My only complaint in regard to either of these was that the bathrooms did maybe need a bit of restock, but since I am always prepared that wasn't an issue. I would suggest also always being prepared!

TIPS:

• Don't leave trash at your site or food outside of your vehicle if you are in a tent. While I did not hear coyotes others have reported that not to be the case. Many times these animals are out because they smell food and are wanting to look for it.
• Take advantage of lake views for great sunset pictures. I was so upset by the time I got to my campsite I had used all my battery and missed some of the best views of the day.
• Check out hiking in this area. One of the best trails nearby is just a couple miles up at White Owl Canyon. It is marked on this map, however if you go and get a map from rangers you will not find the trail, this is because it is a wash area and is closed from time to time. Simply ask for directions to the trailhead when passing though the rangers station.

The best parts of this campground is that there is cell service, restrooms, and an RV dump station. It's a very dry and sad campground, with no view of the lake as it has receded too far with the low lake levels. It used to be a convenient place to camp close to the Las Vegas Bay Marina. The marina is now closed to docking, but there is dry storage for watercraft. There are also day use facilities: Shaded picnic areas and public restroom. For a campground that doesn't remind you of a ghost town, try Boulder Beach Campground, just south of here.

Love this campground. Easy access from Las Vegas, but feels a world away. Lots of big trees and bushes make the campground feel like an oasis. I’ve come out here on holiday weekends and was always able to find a site. Many of them have great views. The sites over looking the wash allow you to hear a river while you sleep! At night I’ve always heard coyotes and owls. Access to Lake Mead is a 15 minute drive away. Restrooms are flush facilities and clean.

Great views and good hikes! I had a blast!

We love camping at Las Vegas Bay campground at Lake Mead. The campground is very close to the wash that comes from Lake Las Vegas. Lots of wildlife!! Sites are small. RVs larger than 31 ft will have a hard time fitting. This is dry camp only. No hookups or dump station. Portable water is available. Sites are well developed.

This is by far the best national Park campground we have stayed at. They have planted lots of trees in the campground for shade in the middle of the desert. So from the highway you come in at, it looks like a little oasis in the middle of the desert. We arrived on Wednesday and had about 3/4 of the campground to choose from. There were fire rings, picnic tables, and a trash dumpster, plus clean restrooms. There is a dump station and also fresh water to fill your freshwater tank. No hook ups, so bring everything you need. Highly recommended!

Free dump station and potable water. Dispersed spaces asphalt pads, concrete picnic tables, fire rings and gorgeous views. What more can we ask? It’s quiet except for the birds. Quail are everywhere. Close to the water and it’s peacefully quiet.

it's a little way to the water but it's central for all your exploring needs.

Clean bathrooms and paved roads perfect for bike riding.

oleanders trees separate your neighbors

each spot has tables and fire rings.

nice size spots for you to park at.

boulder beach is about a 15-minute drive from here and government wash is about 20.

lake las vegas is about 10 minutes

the strip is about 30 mins

lost to explore for sure

if you don't have a nation rec pass be ready to pay to get in.

 There are bathrooms with toilets and sinks.  The sites are a little close together but the views on the outside sites facing the water are incredible.  Spectacular views of the stream.  The campground host is also very nice.  There are trails at one of the campground that are fun to walk.  

I saw a coyote in the campground one morning but he ran away when I stood up.  The last time I camped here, someone had a dog that they didn't leash and he kept running into my campground so that was annoying because my dog is afraid of other dogs and we ended up not staying the night because of that.